LITTLE ROCK — Sword ban has Trojans up in arms
The Southern California-UCLA rivalry has taken on a new twist.
Earlier this week, UCLA informed USC that if its drum major plants his sword at midfield at the Rose Bowl on Saturday before the pregame show, the Bruins would ban the Trojans’ band from marching at halftime.
According to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, a UCLA spokesman declined to comment on the school’s request.
Plaschke talked to two former USC drum majors Wednesday, who offered more detailed insight into the tradition.
“Beyond this being really kind of childish, the biggest thing that they’re missing is that it’s not about UCLA or defacing property, it’s about us,” said Kenny Morris, who was the USC drum major for the 2009 season. “It’s about the Trojan family, all of us uniting for one single moment before we’re ready to play, symbolizing that it’s time to get down, time to start the game and get behind the team.
“It’s not like we go out there and find a logo and stick something in it,” Morris said.
“When you’re out there in front of 90,000 people, you don’t even think about where you’re putting the sword. First, you don’t want to drop it. And second, you want to put it so deep you split the earth open.”
Said Eddie Carden, drum major for the 2008 season: “ I’m disappointed to see their fans take this tradition and twist it into something that it’s not. The USC UCLA tradition has lived through a lot of moments, and it’s a shame to reduce any part of it.”
Plaschke, though, wishes for more sportsmanship between the Trojans and Bruins fans.
“After recent incidents in the parking lot and on the field - remember Pete Carroll versus Rick Neuheisel? - this game is in desperate need of some good sportsmanship,” Plaschke wrote.
“Good for UCLA officials to demand it. Good for USC officials to accept it. As for the fans, chill out. For three hours Saturday there will enough sticking to satisfy everyone.”
Turf suit
Former Houston Texans punter Brett Hartmann has sued the county agency that operates Reliant Stadium, blaming “unsafe turf” for a possibly career-ending knee injury.
Hartmann signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent in July 2011. He played in the first 12 games last season before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament and fracturing a bone in Houston’s 17-10 victory over Atlanta on Dec. 4.
Hartmann’s attorneys filed the lawsuit Thursday in Harris County District Court, naming venue management company SMG and the Harris County Convention and Sports Corporation as defendants. It doesn’t name the Texans, but includes past comments critical of the stadium’s surface by nose tackle Shaun Cody, New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and former Indianapolis Coach Tony Dungy.
The lawsuit said several doctors have told Hartmann that his knee remains “unstable” and that he needs “additional surgery, possibly quite extensive.” He said he fears his playing career is already over.
The stadium recently installed removable AstroTurf to be used for non-NFL events. For Texans games, workers piece together more than 1,200, 8-foot-by-8-foot palettes of real grass with forklifts. Hartmann caught his left foot in a seam between palettes and was placed on injured reserve.
The lawsuit said Hartmann suffered a “significant and career threatening injury.”
Quote of the day “But I haven’t ever come up with one that’s original on my own, so we’re kind of, ‘Don’t let them score.’ ” Prairie Grove defensive coordinator Craig Laird on a nickname for his unit
Sports, Pages 20 on 11/16/2012